1. Field
Some example embodiments relate generally to a chemical separations system and/or method for processing and storing post-accident coolant, and more particularly to a chemical separations system and/or method of filtering post-accident water to remove fission products and salts for permanent disposal.
2. Related Art
After a reactor accident, efforts are typically made to have the reactor core reprocessed and/or placed in interim storage. However, the mitigation of the reactor accident may be complicated by the introduction of foreign materials. For instance, in the Fukushima Daiichi accident in 2011, seawater was used in an attempt to cool the reactors. As a consequence of the use of seawater, sea salts were deposited in the reactors. Accordingly, the integrity of metal containers intended for subsequently storing the recovered fuel from the reactor core may be compromised by the corrosive action of the sea salts.
When the reactor is operating, the radioactive soluble and/or insoluble impurities may be removed, at least in part, by one or more demineralizers, filters, ion exchangers, and/or other devices (collectively referred to in this application as a Reactor Water Cleanup Unit (“RWCU”)). For a damaged reactor core injected with off-specification water (e.g., seawater) using the normal RWCU, a relatively large volume of ion-exchange resin may be generated. Therefore, the RWCU filter beds would need to be changed frequently, thereby making the process more difficult and costly. In addition, operation of the RWCU allows for coolant (e.g., water) to be extracted from the bottom of the reactor, which may be obstructed due to damaged components and fuel. Furthermore, the spent resin is not stable enough for permanent waste storage due to relatively large amounts of radioactivity.